Foreign object removal system for a coin processing device

1. A coin processing system, comprising: a coin input area for receiving coins from a user, the coins being mixed with at least one foreign object; and a coin processing module for receiving and counting the coins from said coin input area, said coin processing module including a rotatable disk having an upper surface, a sort head having a plurality of coin sorting channels, said sort head being located such that it forms a gap with said upper surface rotatable disk, the coins entering the coin sorting channels through said gap, a coin hopper for receiving the coins from said coin input area, said coin hopper being defined by said rotatable disk on its bottom surface and by a peripheral wall surrounding a central area of said sort head, said coin sorting channels being formed outside said peripheral wall, and a foreign object removal system being located at least partially within said coin hopper for removing said foreign object located in said central area within said peripheral wall of said coin hopper, said foreign object being removed from said coin hopper only after all the coins have been removed from said central area within said peripheral wall, said foreign object being elevated above said rotatable disk and removed from within said coin hopper along a path directing said foreign object from said upper surface of said rotatable disk to a rejection outlet that is located above said gap formed between said sort head and said rotatable disk.

2. The coin processing system of claim 1 , wherein the coin processing system is a coin-redemption-type coin-processing system.

3. The coin processing system of claim 1 , wherein the coin input area comprises a gravity feed coin input tray.

4. The coin processing system of claim 1 , wherein said coin input area is a coin tray having holes for allowing said coins to fall through to said coin hopper.

5. The coin processing system of claim 1 , wherein said rotatable disk has a resilient pad for imparting motion to said coins in said coin hopper, said resilient pad forming said upper surface of said rotatable disk, said object removal system including a blade mounted to said rotatable disk for removing said foreign object from said coin hopper.

6. The coin processing system of claim 5 , wherein said blade is rotatable in an opposite direction to a sorting direction of said rotatable disk, said blade providing velocity to said foreign object.

7. The coin processing system of claim 5 , wherein said blade includes a first state and a second state, said first state having said blade rotate in an opposite direction to said rotatable disk, said second state having said blade in a fixed position with respect to said rotatable disk when said rotatable disk is rotated in a reversed direction, said blade imparting velocity to objects that slip on said rotatable disk when said blade is in said second state.

8. The coin processing system of claim 5 , wherein said blade is made at least in part from an elastomer material.

9. The coin processing system of claim 1 , wherein said rotatable disk has a resilient pad for imparting motion to said coins in said coin hopper, said resilient pad forming said upper surface of said rotatable disk, said pad including a protrusion for elevating said foreign object from said pad.

10. The coin processing system of claim 1 , wherein said foreign object removal system includes a ramp for allowing said foreign object to exit said coin hopper along said path.

11. The coin processing system of claim 10 , wherein said ramp includes a first section that intersects a said peripheral wall of said coin hopper at a start point of said first section, said first section having an upward slope for hindering the movement of a coin beyond an end point of said first section.

12. The coin processing system of claim 11 , wherein said ramp includes a second section having a start point that connects to said end point of said first section, said second section having a downward slope for allowing said foreign object to move to a foreign object collecting tray.

13. The coin processing system of claim 1 , wherein said foreign object removal system includes a finger for agitating and lifting said foreign object in said coin hopper.

14. The coin processing system of claim 13 , wherein said finger is located near said peripheral wall of said coin hopper and extends therefrom above said rotatable disk, said finger having a tapered end.

15. The coin processing system of claim 1 , wherein said rotatable disk has a resilient pad for imparting motion to said coins in said coin hopper, said resilient pad forming said upper surface of said rotatable disk, said rotatable disk having a timing and a speed controlled through software.

16. The coin processing system of claim 15 , wherein said rotatable disk has an interim stage for dislodging trapped coins, said rotatable disk having a slower speed and spinning in a reverse direction during said interim stage than in a sorting stage of said rotatable disk.

17. The coin processing system of claim 15 , wherein said timing and said speed are controlled to define a post-son period to insure that all good coins have been sorted.

18. A coin processing system, comprising: a coin input area for receiving a plurality of coins from a user, the coins being mixed with one or more foreign objects; a rotatable disk including a resilient upper surface in the form of a pad for imparting motion to the plurality of coins in said coin hopper, said pad forming a bottom surface of said coin hopper; a sorting head having a lower surface generally parallel to and spaced slightly from said resilient upper surface of said disk via a gap, said lower surface of said sorting head forming a plurality of channels for sorting and discharging coins of different denominations; a coin hopper for receiving said plurality of coins from said coin input area, said coin hopper being defined on its bottom by said rotatable disk and around its periphery by a peripheral wall located in a central portion of said sorting head, said plurality of channels extending from said peripheral wall in a direction away from said central portion; and a debris removal system for removing at least one of said one or more foreign objects directly from an area within said peripheral wall of said coin hopper only after all the coins have been separated within said area from said one or more foreign objects, at least one of said one or more foreign objects being elevated above said disk to be removed via a hopper exit that is located in said peripheral wall of said coin hopper and above said gap formed between said lower surface of said sorting head and said resilient upper surface of said disk.

19. The coin processing system of claim 18 , wherein said plurality of channels includes at least one of a reversing channel and a debris channel, said reversing channel trapping another one of said one or more foreign objects when said coins are being sorted, said debris channel diverting said another one of said one or more foreign objects to a debris reservoir when said coins are being sorted.

20. The coin processing system of claim 19 , wherein said debris channel accepts said another one of said one or more foreign objects only if said another one of said one or more foreign objects has at least one dimension that is smaller than a diameter of the smallest of said coins.

21. The coin processing system of claim 19 , wherein said debris channel is a first channel exit, among said plurality of channels, for said another one of said one or more foreign objects.

22. A method for removing foreign objects in a coin processing system, the method comprising: providing a mix of at least one foreign object and a plurality of coins in a coin input area of a coin processing system; receiving the coins and said foreign object from said coin input area in a coin hopper of a coin processing module, said coin hopper being defined on its bottom by a rotatable disk and around its periphery by a peripheral wall surrounding a central portion of a sorting head, said sorting head being spaced slightly from said rotatable disk via a gap through which coins exit said coin hopper to enter a plurality of channels formed on a lower surface of said sorting head, said plurality of channels being for sorting and discharging coins of different denominations and extending from said peripheral wall in an outward direction away from said central portion of said sorting head counting the coins from said coin hopper in a coin processing area of said coin processing module, the coin processing area including said plurality of channels of said sorting head; removing said foreign object directly from said central portion surrounded by said peripheral wall of said coin hopper subsequent to receiving said foreign object from said coin input area and subsequent to said counting of said coins in said coin processing area; and elevating said foreign object to exit from said central portion surrounded by said peripheral wall of said coin hopper along a path that begins on an upper surface of said rotatable disk and continues above said gap formed between said sorting head and said rotatable disk.

23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising collecting ferric foreign objects provided with said plurality of coins in said coin input area.

24. The method of claim 22 , further comprising allowing said coins to fall through holes of said coin input area to said coin hopper.

25. The method of claim 24 , further comprising using bumps between said holes of said coin input area to cause said coins to tumble with minimal coin agitation from a coin pourer.

26. The method of claim 22 , further comprising: imparting motion to said coins in said coin hopper via a rotatable disk having a resilient pad of said rotatable disk; and rotating a blade in a reverse direction for removing said foreign object from said coin hopper, said reverse direction being an opposite direction to a sorting direction of said rotatable disk.

27. The method of claim 22 , further comprising: imparting motion to said coins in said coin hopper via a resilient pad of said rotatable disk; and elevating said foreign object from said pad via a protrusion included in said pad.

28. The method of claim 22 , further comprising allowing said foreign object to exit said coin hopper via a ramp of a foreign object removal.

29. The method of claim 28 , further comprising preventing the movement of a coin beyond a predetermined location of said ramp.

30. The method of claim 28 , further comprising collecting said foreign object in a foreign object collecting tray.

31. The method of claim 22 , further comprising agitating said foreign object via a finger of a foreign object removal system.

32. The method of claim 22 , further comprising trapping said foreign object in a reversing channel when said coins are being processed, said reversing channel being one of a plurality of channels included in said sorting head.

33. The method of claim 32 , further comprising rotating said rotatable disk in a reverse direction for moving said foreign object back to said hopper.

34. The method of claim 22 , further comprising diverting said foreign object to a debris reservoir via a debris channel when said coins are being processed, said debris channel being one of a plurality of channels included in a sorting head of said coin processing module.

35. The method of claim 34 , further comprising accepting said foreign object in said debris channel only if said foreign object has at least one dimension that is smaller than a diameter of the smallest of said coins.

36. A method for removing debris in a coin processing system, the method comprising: receiving a mix of debris and a plurality of coins in a coin hopper of a coin processing module, said plurality of coins being received from a coin input area of a coin processing system; imparting motion to the coins in said coin hopper using a rotatable disk of said coin processing module, said rotatable disk defining a bottom surface of said coin hopper; sorting the coins according to coin denomination using a plurality of channels formed on an underside surface of a sorting head, said sorting head being separated by a gap from said rotatable disk, said plurality of coins entering said plurality of channels through said gap; separating said debris from said plurality of coins, said debris being leftover within an area defined by a peripheral wall of said coin hopper, said peripheral wall being in a central portion of said sorting head and defining generally a starting point of said plurality of channels as they extend outwards from said peripheral wall in a direction away from a center of said sorting head; and after sorting all the coins, removing debris leftover on said rotatable disk via an exit of said coin hopper that is located above said gap formed between said sorting head and said rotatable disk.

37. The method of claim 36 , further comprising controlling said rotatable disk via software.

38. The method of claim 37 , wherein said controlling step includes providing a post-sort period to insure that all good coins have been sorted, said post-sort period including reversing a sorting direction of said rotatable disk to remove said debris from said coin hopper.

39. The coin processing system of claim 36 , further comprising trapping debris in a reversing channel of said plurality of channels when the coins are being sorted.

40. The coin processing system of claim 36 , further comprising diverting debris in a debris channel of said plurality of channels when the coins are being sorted.